The islands of Jamaica, St. Lucia and Grenada are down 10% in tourism, a reflection of the larger Caribbean market that appears to be losing its appeal to US travelers.
Governments have aimed marketing pitches at Canada and Europe to compensate for slippage in the American market, which accounts for about 60% of the region’s vital tourism business, reports the AP.
A new passport rule has undoubtedly discouraged some travelers.
Americans returning by air from the Caribbean were required to present the document beginning earlier this year, although the U.S. is temporarily accepting proof of application because of a backlog.
But even U.S. territories unaffected by the new security measure have seen declines — the number of Americans visiting Puerto Rico dropped 9% in January compared with the same month last year, for example.
“A lot of the larger islands are reaching that point where their market ‘has been there, done that’ and is looking for a different experience,” said Cheryl Carter, a tourism instructor at Florida International University.
Facing uncertainty over when trends might reverse, Caribbean officials are focusing promotional efforts elsewhere.
Report by David Wilkening
